Definition

Noun: 1. A detached or outdoor shelter for cooking: A simple building or structure, separate from a main building or living quarters, used for preparing food. This is often associated with military camps, large outdoor events, or historical settings. 2. The area for food preparation on a ship: The kitchen or galley of a ship.

Usage Examples

• As a detached outdoor shelter:
  • The soldiers prepared their meals in the field cookhouse.
  • At the summer camp, the cookhouse was a small wooden hut near the main lodge.
• As a ship's kitchen:
  • The ship's chef spent most of his day in the cookhouse.
  • Fresh fish were brought directly to the cookhouse to be cleaned and prepared.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical or specific professional contexts (military, maritime, camping) rather than for a modern home kitchen.
• It can imply a functional, utilitarian space rather than a decorative or central living area.

Variants and Related Words

• Galley (noun): Specifically refers to the kitchen on a ship or aircraft.
• Kitchen (noun): The general term for a room or area where food is prepared and cooked.
• Mess hall (noun): A large room where meals are served and eaten, especially in the military; distinct from where the food is cooked (the cookhouse).

Synonyms

• Field kitchen
• Ship's galley
• Outdoor kitchen

Antonyms

• Dining room
• Restaurant

Noun

1. a detached or outdoor shelter for cooking
   • the circus used a tent as their cookhouse
2. the area for food preparation on a ship